Electrical switch



Oct. 18, 1932. A. M. PHELAN 1,883,241

` ELECTRICAL swITcH Filed April 28. 1928 Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS A. M. PHELAN, 0F ELIKHART, INDIANA, ASSIGNO, BY HESNE ASSIGNI-ENTS, T0

MINNEAPOLIS-HONEYWELL REGULATOR COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,

A CORPORATION .0F DELAWARE ELECTRICAL SWITCH Application led April 28, 1928. Serial No. 273,504.

This invention relates to electrical switches and has special reference to manually operated electrical switches employing tiltable fluid contact-making-and-breaking means.

More particularly, this invention has reference to an electrical switch comprising an actuating member havinga tiltable fluid contact making-and-bre'aking member mountedv thereon, said actuatin member being operated by and being readily detachable from an operating handle, which latter is suitably mounted on a support. A l

One of the objects ofthis invention is to provide a manually operated electrical switch aving simple operating parts which may be readily assembled or disassembled. v

A further object of thisinvention is to rovide a manually operated electrical switch having operating parts which are so constructed and arranged as to eliminate noises in the operation thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a manually operated electrical switch wherein the actuating member provides a tensioning means for holding the unit in an assembledrelation without the necessity of the usual securing means, and for holding the switch against rotation unless manually forced.

Other objects will hereinafter be described, and for a better understanding or the charactei-istie scope and features of this invention, reference may be had Vto the accompan in drawing and following specification, in whic drawing: y i

Figure 1A is a perspective view of the ydevice of this invention 4as mounted on an ordinary outlet box; v Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the operating mechanism in elevation;

Fi 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-e3 of Figure 1; andl Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary showing the cushioning means for limiting the movement of the actuatin member.

f Referring now more particularl to the drawing, a mounting plate or face p ate 10 is secured to an ordinary outlet box 11`y as by means of screws 12 passing therethrough and engaging ears as are usual y provided on such -16 and 16a engage the proJection' 17 view.

outlet boxes. A shaft 13 is suitably journalled in the mounting plate 10 and is rotatable therein. An operating handle 14 is fixedly secured to one end of the shaft 13 on the outside side of the mounting plate 10. An actuating member 15 is mounted on the other end of the shaft 13 and is rotatable therewith in a manner which will hereinafter be more full described. The actuating member 15 is pre erably formed of a spring material and is-substantiallyspider-sha d that is, a plurality of arms 16, 16a andpt radiate from a central body portion. There are preferably three arms and the ends of the arms are vprovided with beaded portions for engaging projecting ortions 17 and 18, which latter are prefera lyformed integrally on the inside side of the mounting plate 10. The arms and the arm 1Gb engages the projection 18.

The shaft 13 has mutilated portions thereon, that is, diametrically opposite sides of the shaft are flattened to engage the reduced Egrtion of a keyhole slot 19, a shoulder 20 ing formed at the junction between the flattened portions of the shaft and the rounded portion at the end, thereby providing a stop against which the actuator 15 rests In the assembly of the actuating member 15 to the shaft 13 the rounded end portion of the latter isinserted through the enlar ed portion of the ke hole slot 19 until the at portion engages t e slot, whereafter the shaft is moved upwardl into the reduced portion of the slot. The s aft is thereafter locked in this ition by means of a U-shaped-bracket mem r 21 havin the rounded en bracket being suita ly secured tothe actuator `as by means of the screw and nut 22, In this manner it will be apparent that the actuating member 15 vmay have slidable movement 1ongitudinally of the shaft 13. rhe actuating member 15/is formed preferably as stated, of

a resilient material and is bowed, the ends 16, 16a and 166 exerting a pressure against their respective projections 17 and 18 which action urges the shaft 13 in a directionto- `ward the inside of the conduit box 11. It

an aperture for ittin over rtion of the sha thewill thus be seen that the' loperating handle 14, fixed to the shaft 13, is urged aga-inst the face of the recess in the supporting plate and the assembly is held in a secure relation with the support 10 without the usual securing means. Further,.the actuating member, in exerting a tension on the shaft and operating handle 13 and 14, respectively, holds the unit against rotation unless manually forced.

A tiltable' fluid contactor switch 23 is mounted in a clip 24 which latter is, in turn, secured to the U-shaped bracket 21 in any suitable manner. The contactor 23 is of the usual type comprising a sealed container having a pair of spaced cooperating electrodes disposed at one end thereof and a body of current conducting fluid, such as mercury, disposed therein to bridge or to flow away. from the electrodes thereby making or breaking, respectivel an electrical circuit therethrou h. In t e operation of the switch, when 1t is desired to make an electrical circuit therethrough, the operating handle 14 is partially rotated to tilt the contactor tube 23 in a direction such that the current conducting iluid bridges the electrodes. versel when it is desired to open the circuit theret rough, the operating handle 14 is turned in the reverse directlon to cause the current conducting fluid to flow away from the electrodes. In order to ascertain whether the switch is in an off or on position, a'

window 25 is formed in the face plate 10 and an indicating member 26 is mounted in any suitable manner to the actuator 15 in alignment with the window 25. When the operating handle 14 is artially rotated in one direction, the printed word On will appear at the window and when rotated partially in the opposite direction, the word OH will appear at the window.

It has thus `far been recited that by means of the resilient actuating member 15 pressing against portions of the face plate 10, lthe operatin members of the unit are held in a firm an secure relation on the face plate 10. These operating members will never become loose from operation thereof because of the take-up afforded by the resilient member 15 and will thereby provide a noiseless construction. In order tol augment this desir- 'on each si e of the reduced face portion of 5 g the projection 18 on which thearm 161) slidably 'ridesQ It has been a desirable practice tout away a portionv of the'projection 18 adjacent-.the stops 27 and insert a portion of the felt pad members 28 therein and glue the latter members to the sides of the stop mem- Conbers 27. When the operating handle 14 is rotated in either direction, the arm 165 will engage one of the felt pads 28 at the limit of itsv movement. It will thus be apparent that no matter how carelessly the switch member is actuated, no noise willbe heard.

As a. result of this invention by use of a contactor tube, noise is eliminated. Further, by means of supplying cushioning members for limiting the movement of the actuating member, the operation of the device will be noiseless. These desirable results are still further augmented by the fact that the actuating member 15 constantly urges the movable parts in a. secure relation with each other and no noise can be detected by reason of loose ttin parts. Also, it will be apparent that only t e slightest degree of mechanical skill` is necessary to assemble or disassemble 4the operating mechanism -of the device, which assembly or disassembly can be made inA a minimum amount of time.

While but a single .embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood thatvarious modifications thereof will be apparentv to those skilled in the art without departing from the s irit and scope of this invention, and there ore, the same is to be limited only by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a support, a manually operable member rot-atably mounted thereon, an actuating member operated by said manually operable member, and a switch member mounted on said actuating member, said actuating member holding said manually operable member in a secure relation with said support and holding said switch member against rotation unless manually forced.

2. In a. device of the character described, a support, a manually operable member rotatably mounted thereon, an actuating member mounted onand operated by said manually operable member, and a switch member mounted on said actuating member, said actuatingt member holding said manually operable member in a secure relation with said support andY holding said switch member against-rotation unless manually forced.

3. In a device of the character described, a

support, amanually: operable member rotatably mounted .thereon, a resilient actuating member xedly mounted on said manually operable member, and a switch member mounted on said actuating member, said actuating member exerting a tension on and thereby holding said manually operable member in' aisecurerelation with said support and against rotation unless manually forced. 4

4. Inl a device of the character described, a support, a manually operable member rotatablymounted thereon, a resilient actuating member tixedly mounted on said manually operable member, and a switch member mounted on said actuating member, said actuating member engaging said support and exerting a tension on said manually operable member thereby holding the latter member against rotation unless manually forced and in a secure relation with said support.

5. In a device of the character described, a support, a manually operable member rotatably mounted thereon, a resilient actuating member operated by said manually operable member, a tiltable fluid contact making-and-breaking member mounted on said in engagement with said support and exerting a pressure thereagainst for holding said contact' member against free rotation unless manually forced and for holding said shaft in a.k secure relation with said support. r

7. In a device of the character described,

i `a. support, a shaft rotatably mounted therein and having a mutilated ortion, a resilient actuating member having a ey-hole slot thereon slidably mounted'on said shaft and rotata support, a shaft rotatably mounted on said support, an actuating member rotatable with said shaft and frictionally engagin said support, a tiltable contact making-an -breaking member mounted on said actuating member, and cushioning members for limiting the movement of said actuating member.

11. In a device of the character described, a support, actuating means constituting a resilient member rotatable on said sup ort, and a mercury electric switch mounte on said actuating means, said actuating means resiliently pressing against said support and holding said switch member against rotation un-` i less manually forced.

12. In a device of the character described, a support, a resilient actuatin frictional engagement with sai support and rotatable thereon, and a mercury electric switch mounted on said actuating member, said vactuating member resiliently against said support and holding sai switc member against rotation unless manually forced. Y

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LOUIS A. M. PHELAN.

able therewith, the reduced portion of sai-d slotv 'engaging the mutilated portion of said shaft, a member' for locking said actuating member in the aforementioned relation, a tiltable fluid contact making-and-breaklng member mounted on said locking member, said resilient actuating member exerting a pressure against said support for holding said contact member against rotation unless manually forced.

8. In a device of the character described, a support, a manually operable memberl rotatably mounted thereon, an actuating member bpcrated by said manually rotatable memberand engaging said su port, a tiltable fluid :ontact ma ing-and-brea lng member mountled in said actuating member, and cushioning members on said support for limiting the.. movement of said actuating member.

9. In a device of the character described, a support, a substantially star-shaped resilient actuating member pressing against said support, a tiltable contact making-and-breaking member mounted on said actuating member, and 'cushioning members on said support for member.

10. In a device of the character described,

limiting the movement of said actuatingressin member in 

